“If you had a time machine and could visit yourself in your first year of gym ownership, what’s the No. 1 thing you would tell yourself?”
That’s the question I asked top gym owners in Two-Brain’s private group for clients.
Imagine that: A successful, experienced, long-term gym owner gets a chance to go back in time and pass on just one piece of advice to help their business survive and thrive.
Below, you’ll see what our best gym owners would say to themselves—I hope their advice helps you right now, whatever stage you are at.
Time Travelers’ Gym Business Tips
“Bigger isn’t always better—flood your space before you expand!”
“Ask for help—hire someone!”
“Drop your partner. Get a mentor.”
“Ask for mentorship!”
“It would be to trust my gut and ‘things always work out.’”
“Pay yourself for any and all work you do no matter what. Your time isn’t free. Make a plan to generate the revenue you need to cover this expense.”
“Create an SOP for everything.”
“Don’t be afraid to sell in order to help.”
“Don’t quit. Find a way!”
“Document everything that works and repeat it so you never have to think about it again.”
“Don’t give your services away, and get a team on board early to help.”
“Get a mentor because they will help you with what steps to take so you don’t ‘wing it and go by emotion.’ And do what they say with the knowledge that the worst that can happen actually won’t happen. So do it scared because you don’t grow if you don’t do what scares you.”
“You will have times where you want to quit, so you’ll need to pull yourself through that. And it will happen over and over again, but each time you will get better at keeping going.”
“Love the shit out of your clients. It’s actually the one thing I did great right from the start. I’m nine years strong with my founding members.”
“Be kind and forgiving to yourself. You’re going go mess up—lots! Be humble. Learn. Move forward.”
“Keep doing those things you know you’re supposed to be doing even if you’re not seeing the payoff immediately. It takes time, and it’s really f*$#*%g hard to grow a business that’ll last 15-20 years.”
“You’re a pretty good coach, but you have no idea what you’re doing as a business owner. Get help and get help now. And take this thing seriously, meaning get your personal life together or you’ll never get this professional thing figured out. Now, time to put your head down and grind.”
“’You’ll be fine’ and ‘ask for the help.’”
“You’re worth double what you’re charging.”
“Figure out your business model before starting. And learn how to lead and sell far before opening.”
“Stick to core services and do them better and better.”
“Be certain who your avatar is and then dial down on how to serve them.”
“The gym won’t grow if you’re only concerned with yourself as an athlete. Focus on customer service and make this place as welcoming as possible.”
“Hire someone ASAP: a cleaning person once per week and an admin to help with lead nurture.”
“Have literally any sort of plan other than ‘this is fun and I love it so it’ll work.’”
“Join Two-Brain sooner.”
“Don’t undervalue the service you’re providing or your time.”
“Don’t be afraid to ask for help! There are a lot of people out there willing to help you out.”
“You are not your No. 1 client!”
“Join Two-Brain today!”
“Build a team, learn to sell.”
“Hire a Two-Brain mentor before you even open so you ensure you have a viable plan in place to succeed.”
“Let it go. Whatever is eating you up, learn, adapt and let go of it. It is not going to matter in five years, however big it is now.”
“Learn and adapt faster. Get a mentor.”
“Hire a mentor from Day 1. I promise it will still be your gym in the end. This one thing will save you years of struggle and tens of thousands of dollars in avoidable mistakes.”
Improve Your Business Today!
How valuable is this advice?
Very. Each quote would have saved me time and money from 2011 to the present.
I’ll make it real for you, using just one piece of advice.
What if you realized today that your service is worth twice as much as you’re charging? What would happen if you adjusted your rates instead of charging below market value for years?
Do the math. It will blow your mind.
If hope these tips from the world’s best gym owners help you improve your business today.
You’ll note that many of them said “work with a mentor.” They’re obviously getting huge ROI on mentorship and wish they had obtained help sooner.
I’ll solve that one for you: If you’re struggling and need help right now, book a call here. In 10 years, you’ll be very happy you did.
